I am a little confused on what is going on with my bitch and her pups. Let me just start from the begining. They were born and she nursed them just fine and has been for the first 3 wks, she was a wonderful mother. They are almost 4 wks now and it seems like she is getting tired of them. I am not sure how much they need to eat at 4 wks but my guess is 3-4 times a day minimum. Unless she is feeding them at night while I am asleep then she is not feeding them. I have to almost force her to feed them in the morning when I get up. They all seem very healthy and I am changing the newspaper in their whelping pen 2-3 times a day so I know they are releiving themselves throughout the day. Whenever I let them out to run around the will run up to their mother and try desperetely to get fed and she does not want to feed them. It is almost like she nudges them to tell them NO! like she is teaching them manners or something. They are starting to get teeth in and I think that might have something to do with it. This is my first litter ever so I am a little bit confused. I would appreciate some help in the right direction. Thanks in advance

Also I forgot to mention that my bitch is not eating like she is supposed to. She acts fine though, she will run around and go for rides in the car but does not want to eat. She has eaten only a couple of raw chicken wings in the last 2 days. Is this typical weird behavior of a bitch whelping a litter?

At 4 weeks. I would be supplementing your pups feeding.. I would be feeding them 2 or 3 times a day.. Pups have teeth and thier nails are sharp..so it is uncomfortable for her to nurse.

Howard, You might want to make sure she doesn't have mastitis (infection of the mammary glands).
If you have the least bit of suspision that this is the case I would see a vet ASAP.

Debbie